Motorsports Links: Jenson Button Wins Monaco

Formula One: Jenson Button became the first British driver to win the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix from pole since Jackie Stewart did it in 1973. The win was Button’s fifth in six races this season, and his Brawn GP team is quickly pulling away in the championship. The Monaco Grand Prix, raced under idyllic conditions, encapsulated the fortunes of the team. Button and his teammate, Rubens Barrichello, dominated the race, from wire to wire, with a Ferrari driver, Kimi Raikkonen, finishing third for the team’s first podium of the season. Ross Brawn, the owner and team principal of Brawn GP, was the technical director at Ferrari during its glory years with Michael Schumacher, and this season is reminiscent of those Ferrari days. Brawn has even begun comparing Button to Schumacher, reports the BBC. “Rubens has had his occasions when he beat Michael and he was a pretty strong reference,” Brawn said. “The fact Jenson’s won these races with Rubens in the team sets the standard.” High praise, indeed.

Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesHelio Castroneves after his victory.

IndyCar: Contrary to what broadcasters said as Helio Castroneves crossed the checkered flag to win the Indy 500 for the third time in his career, and just 37 days after being acquitted of tax evasion charges that could have sent him and his sister to prison, Hollywood probably could write a better script. (Tax evasion doesn’t exactly provide for blockbuster drama.) But it’s still been quite a turnaround. At Indianapolis, he started on pole and then drifted back through the early laps. He moved into third after a massive crash by Tony Kanaan, and jumped into the lead with 58 laps remaining. Dan Wheldon and Danica Patrick gave chase through the final 20 laps, but neither could match the speed of Castroneves’s car. And the race finished in that order. After the cool-down lap, Castroneves parked his winning Penske racecar on the front straight, climbed out without taking off his helmet and then climbed the catch-fence with his team beside him.

Terry Renna/Associated PressDavid Reutimann, right, and his father, Buzzie Reutimann, during a rain delay Sunday. Reutimann was leading when the race was stopped.

Nascar: While there was little drama in the Monaco Grand Prix and Indy 500, there was even less at the Coca-Cola 600, Nascar’s big Memorial Day shebang. David Reutimann, a longtime Nascar journeyman claimed his first victory in 75 races when rain forced Nascar to cancel the race after a two-hour delay. Reutimann’s win was due more to weather strategy than race skill. He was sitting in 14th when rain started to fall shortly after the halfway point of the race, which brought out the caution flag. While the leaders dived into the pits, he stayed out and inherited the lead. The rain continued to fall, and Nascar eventually brought all the cars onto pit road. Two hours later, the race was called, and Reutimann was declared the winner. “It certainly wasn’t the prettiest win, but somebody has to win it,” he told ESPN.com.

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